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LOBBY FOR A FAIR DEAL FOR TENANTS
December 9, 2009 2:43 PM
Tenants leaders, MPs, and Council Leaders descended on Whitehall yesterday (Tuesday 8th December) to lobby Housing Minister, John Healey MP, to reverse the cut of £112 million of funding to bring the borough's council housing up to decent home standards.
The decision to cut the funding was announced in July days before Parliament broke up for the summer. Paul Burstow MP, Tom Brake MP and Council Leaders have been working with tenants leaders to lobby the Government to reverse the decision. The Council is also challenging the decision in the Courts.
Commenting Paul Burstow MP said: "Tenants have been short-changed for years by an unfair rent system that sees millions of pounds going to the Treasury. The decision to axe the funding to renovate and improve homes was the final straw. The meeting allowed us to spell out the damage that would be done if the programme did not proceed."
Jean Crossby said "We have letters from two Housing Ministers confirming that the Decent Homes money is there. We also met with a Minister in March and again was assured that the Decent Homes money was there. The Prime Minister had promised tenants that we would have the Decent Homes funding. In June the Prime Minister with the stroke of a pen destroyed council tenants hopes and dreams by taking our money and giving it to property developers to get the building trade started.
"For 30,000 houses he has destroyed over 200,000 council tenants dreams of a decent home. Tenants are condemned to years of misery with bathrooms that need replacing these bathrooms have asbestos in them this is a health issue not just the case of changing the bath, we have tenants with no adequate heating, draft windows that let the rain in not keep it out. Mr Brown put the homes right first before you build more."
Council Leader, Sean Brennan said, "This withdrawal of funding will only widen the gap between the haves and have nots in our community at the worst possible time.
"By working with our tenants, MPs and other affected boroughs we are doing all we can to reverse this terrible decision."
Tom Brake said, "The Government promised they would deliver this cash to do up tenants' properties. They must cough up! Without the cash, Sutton's tenants will be left stranded in sub-standard homes which fall short of the Decent Homes' standard.
ENDS
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